Dispensing apparatus



Nav.` l2, 1940. A. GORDON 2,220,877

DI SPENS ING APPARATUS INVENTOR. .4f/fiar brian ATToRNEYs.

Patented Nov. 12, 1940 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE DISPENSING APPARATUSArthur Gordon, Chicago, lll.

Application December 13, 1937, Serial No. 179,434

`14 Claim.

This invention relates in general to dispensing apparatus, and moreparticularly to an apparatus which is'adapted to dispense a mixture oftwo fluids having dilerent specific gravities in such a manner as toobtain a predetermined desired ratio between said fluids.

In my prior Patent No. 1,917,582, issued July 11, 1933, I have provideda dispensing apparatus which comprises a separator for separating theliquid and gaseous portions of a beverage, together with a faucetconnected therewith and adapted to withdraw the beverage from theseparator with a predetermined ratio between the liquid and gaseousportions thereof.

One important object of the present invention is the provision of a newand'improved faucet or mixer mechanism for dispensing a predeterminedmixture of two fluids having different specific gravities which isparticularly adapted to be used with the type of separator disclosed inmy prior patent. Y

Another important `object of the invention is the provision of improvedvalve mechanism in such a faucet or mixer which is adapted to beadjusted so as to vary the rate of withdrawal of the desired mixturewhen the valve mechanism is in fully opened position.

A further important object of the invention is the provision of improvedvalve mechanism 'associated with such a faucet or mixer for adjustablyregulating the flow of one of the fluids to vary the ratio between thecomponent parts of the mixture which is delivered thereby.

In the use of dispensing apparatus, such as that disclosed in my priorpatent above referred to, it is necessary to periodically clean the sameto comply with standard health regulations.

Another important object of my invention, therefore, is the provision ofa dispensing device 40 which particularly lends itself to thorough andcomplete cleaning and sterilization whenever desired.

Numerous other objects and advantages of the invention will be apparentas it is better understood from the following description, which, whentaken in connection with the accompanying drawing, disclose `a preferredembodiment thereof.

In' the drawing:

Figure 1 is a side elevational View of a preferred form of thedispensing apparatus with parts shown in section;

Figure 2 is a vertical sectional view of the improved faucet or mixermechanism; shown `in 55- Fig. 1;:and

Figures 3, 4 and 5 are detail verticalsectional viewstaken-substantially on the lines 3-3, 4--4 and 5 5, respectively, ofFig. 2.

With this apparatus, two fluids of different specific gravity, such asthe liquid and gaseous portions of a beverage, -are fed at the same timethrough a separatingfaucet or mixer where the flow of one fluid isregulated as desired with respect to that of the other, and in which aseparate adjustment may `be Amade to varythe rate of withdrawal of thepredetermined mixture when thefaucet isin fully opened position.

Referring more particularly to the drawing, reference numeral IIindicates a bulk container, such as a barrel, from which a beverage,such as beer, is ltobe dispensed. Thecontainer II is provided with a`conduit I2 leading. to the usual air compressor or the like (not shown),`and an outlet pipe I3 whichextends to a point directly adjacent thebottom of the container in the usual and well-known manner. If it isdesired, a shut-off valve.(not shown) may be mounted in this outlet pipeI3.

The outlet pipe I3 is connected at its upper end with the upper end of aseparator tank, indicated generally by reference numeral I4. This tankis similar in construction tothe tank I3`of my prior patent abovereferred to. Connected tothe tank I4 directly adjacent the bottomthereof, is a fitting I5 which has a pipe I6 leading therefrom throughthe wall of afcooling cabinet II within which the `separator isdisposed. The outer `end of the pipe i I6 is provided with a faucet I8for completely draining the separatorduring a cleaning operation, aswill be more fully described hereinafter, or for drawing olf the ,liquidportion only ofthe beverage from the bottom thereof. A pipe I9 isconnected to the fitting I5 and extends upwardly therefrom to a terminalfitting 2|, which in turn is similarly connected to another pipe 122communicating at its other end with the upper portion of the separatortank I4.

A baiiie `or partition plate `23 is mounted. within thegseparator tankMadjacent its upper end, and is angularly disposed relative to the wallsof the tank, as shown in Fig.l. This bafiie 23is preferably providedwith a-plurality of apertures I 24 therethrough which facilitateitsfunction of separating the gaseous or foam andliquid por- 50 tions ofthe `beverage delivered to the tank vby the pipe I3. It will beappreciated that the beverage is so delivered to the tank I4 underpressure,and the gaseous or foam portion thereof will collect adjacentHthe pontofconnection of the pipe 22 with the tank, while the liquidportion of the beverage will collect in the lower end of the tank.

The improved dispensing faucet or mixer disclosed herein is indicatedgenerally by reference numeral 25, and comprises a substantially tubularportion 26, which extends through the wall of the cooling cabinet I1 andis shown as being connected at its inner end to the outer end of theterminal fitting 2l by a suitable coupling or union 21. The interior ofthis portion of the faucet 25 is divided into a relatively smallcircular passage 28 and a materially larger passage` 29, disposedtherebelow and having a substantially semi-circular cross section, by awall portion 3|. The upper passage 28 is coaxially disposed relative tothe pipe 22 which delivers the gaseous or foam portion of the beverageto the faucet 25. The lower passage 29 communicates directly with theenlarged outer end 32 of the liquid delivering pipe 19. vThe relativesizes of these several passages are best shown in the detail sections ofFigs. 4 and 5. ,Since the gaseous-or foam and liquid portions of thebeverage in the separator tank i4 are under the same pressure, thedierence in cross sectional area of the passages 28 and 29 will insurethe flow of a predetermined ratio of the two different portions of thebeverage through the faucet 25.

Additional means is provided for adjustably varying this predeterminedratio by variably restricting the upper passage 28. This means comprisesan adjustable needle valve, indicated generally by reference numeral 33,which corresponds in function to the thumb screw 29 of my prior patentabove referred-to, but which produces materially improved results. Thevalve 33 comprises a stem portion 34 having a conical point 35 at itslower end, and a threaded portion 36 intermediate its ends whichcooperates with a suitable tapped aperture extending through anupstanding lug 31 formed on the tubular portion 26 of the mixer 25adjacenttheouter end thereof. The outer portion of the valve stem 34extends upwardly through a suitable packing gland 38A which is connectedin the usual manner to the outer surface of the lug portion 31. A.protecting bell or skirt portion 39 is connected to the outer end of thevalve stem 34 by a screw 4l, and constitutes a means for manuallyadjusting the vertical position of the valve stem 34. The interior wallportion 3| of the mixer 25 is provided with a conical valve seat 42directly below the lower end of the valve stem 34 with which the conicalend 35 of the Valve stern is adapted to cooperate to vary or restrictthe passage 28.

The wall portion 3| terminates short of the outer end of the tubularportion 26 of the mixer so that the passages 28 and 29 converge andterminate in a discharge passage 43, which extends through the outer endof the mixer and terminates in a discharge opening 44. The dischargepassage 43 is enlarged intermediate its ends to provide a valvereceiving aperture or recess 45.

.Extending ytransversely through the aperture 45 is a tapered valvemember 46 having a transverse aperture 41 thereinwhich is adapted to bemoved into and out of register with the discharge passage 4-3, and is ofsubstantially the same cross sectional area asr the latter passage. Inorder to rotate .the valve member 46, a valve handley 48 is providedhaving lower leg portions 49 which straddle the tubular portion 26 andare provided with slots 5I to engage `rectangular end projections 52providedA on the valve member 46.'

. of the aperture 41 (Fig. 2).

The smaller end of the tapered valve member 46 is secured to theassociated leg 49 of the valve handle 48 by a suitable screw 53, whichhas a cap 54 secured to its outer end and engages a flange 55 formed onthe outer surface of this leg 49. A coil spring 56 surrounds the smallend of the tapered valve member 46, and is disposed between theassociated leg 49 of the valve handle 48 and the side surface of thetubular portion 26 of the faucet 25 to resiliently maintain the valvemember in frictional engagement with its receiving aperture 45. A screw51 (Fig. 3) extends through a suitable tapped aperture in the larger endof the valve member 46 so as to be Aadjustable into and out of thetransverse aperture 41 at its inner end, the screw 51 having only aslightly smaller cross sectional 4area than that The leg member 49 ofthe handle 48 associated with this larger end of the valve member 46 isprovided with a threaded flange 58 surrounding the outer end of thescrew 51 upon which a suitable capv member 59 is removably mounted. Thevalve handle 48 is preferably provided with a rearwardly disposedprojectionEl for limiting the counterclockwise movement thereof (viewingFig. 2). Clockwise or opening movement of the valve is adapted to belimited by a lug 62Vformedon the upper surface of the outer end ofthemixer in the path of movement of the valve handle.

This flow controlling valve structure is adapted to be adjusted bysimplyl removing the cap member 59 and screwing the screw 56 into 0r outof the valve aperture 41 to vary the size of Lsaid aperture. When thedesired adjustment has thus been made, opening of the valve bymoving thehandle 48 forwardly into contact with the lug 62 will result in apredetermined rate of ilow of the fluid mixture through the dischargepassage 43 and opening 44. This adjustment is of particular importancein compensating for different pressures and differences in pressureencountered in different installations in the separator tank I4.

It will thus be seen that adjustment of the two Valve members hereinprovided makes it possible to dispense a mixture of two fluids havingdifferent specific gravities, such as a beverage comprising a liquid anda gaseous or foam portion, at a desired rate of flow, with the Valve 46inffully opened position, and in any desired ratio ofthe componentportions thereof. In this manner a predetermined mixture of fluids maybe dispensed in the most rapid possible manner without the unnecessarywaste usuallyattendant 'therewith. The invention has been illustratedherein as applied to a beer dispensing apparatus, but it will be readilyapparent that the Amixer 25 is equally well adapted for use indispensing other beverages, such as root beer, mixturesl for sodas,etc., and for mixing and dispensing any two fluids, either in a gaseousor'liquid state, such as hot and cold water, etc. In thisconnectio'rnthe passages 28 and 29 may be connected, respectively, tolany suitablesource or separate sources of` the desired fluids.

The arrangement of `the faucet `I8 so 'asto communicate directly withthe very bottomporand pass a ilushing'fiui'd rearwardly through thefaucet or mixer 25 and tank'lll and out of 'the faucet I8. Theconnection of the faucet `|8 with the bottom of the tank assures thecomplete removal of all residue therefrom.

It is thought that the invention andl many of its attendant advantageswill be understood from the foregoing description, and it will beapparent that various changes may be made in the form, construction andarrangement of the parts without departing from the spirit and scope ofthe invention or sacrificing all `of its material advantages, the formhereinbefore described being merely a preferred embodiment thereof.

I claim:

In a beverage dispensing device having means for separating the heavierand lighter portions of the beverage, means for simultaneously drawing01T said portions of the beverage in predetermined ratio and at adesired rate of Withdrawal, comprising a faucet having separate passagestherein for receiving the two portions of the beverage, respectively,the cross sectional area of the passage for receiving the heavierportion being larger than, and in predetermined ratio to, the crosssectional area of the passage receiving the lighter portion of thebeverage, an adjustable needle valve mounted on said faucet for variablyrestricting the passage receiving the lighter portion of the beverage, adischarge passage communicating With both of said first two l0 passages,and a tapered valve member mounted in said discharge passage having atransverse aperture therethrough adapted to be moved into coincidencewith said discharge passage and an adjustable screw extending into saidtransverse 15 aperture for varying the cross sectional area thereof.

ARTHUR GORDON.

